Proposal for a Romantic Sculpture

Overview

Embedded in marble on a pedestal, an iPod shows the phrase "Ne me quitte pas" [Don't leave me] being tattooed on a man's shoulder, while Jacques Brel's song of the same title plays throughout. A poisoned gift to a lover with the intention to manipulate them to stay? Or a moment of anguish and abandonment? Khaled's work embodies the violence and fragility of failed relationships and puts the universal experience of heartbreak literally on a pedestal. (Bozar, Brussels)